President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday delaying the ban of TikTok in the United States just hours after he announced he reached a deal with China to allow the social media platform to continue operating.
The executive order extends the TikTok ban from previous executive actions until Dec. 16. The executive order could be eclipsed if the platform is sold to a U.S. buyer, bringing it into compliance with federal law.
“We have a deal on TikTok,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’ve reached a deal with China. I’m going to speak to President Xi on Friday to confirm everything up. We made a very good, great deal, and I hope good for both countries. But a very different deal than they’ve made in the past.”
Congress passed a law in 2024, while former President Joe Biden was still in office, requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese-based owner, ByteDance. However, Trump has repeatedly delayed the required shutdown of the app if a deal is not reached, citing its popularity with young Americans.
Trump did not give specific details about the deal on Tuesday before leaving for the United Kingdom, though reports have suggested ByteDance would own less than 20% of the app. The Chinese government would also be unable to access user data, according to Politico.
“We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it,” Trump said about the deal. “And you know, the kids wanted it so badly, I had parents calling me up. They don’t want it for themselves. They want it for their kids. They say, if I don’t get it done, they’re in big trouble with their kids. And I think it’s great.”
“I hate to see value like that thrown out the window,” he added.
Trump’s comments come one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a “framework” of the deal was established.
Vice President JD Vance, along with Trump, Bessent, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, held a call on Sunday to discuss Bessent and Greer’s meeting with Chinese officials about the TikTok deal framework, a White House official told the Washington Examiner.
Representatives from the U.S. and China are currently holding a summit in Madrid, where trade and technology were among the most important issues discussed. Vance, along with his counsel, was among the top officials who helped develop a strategy to reach a TikTok deal framework in the run-up to the summit.
TRUMP IS MORALLY AND LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO SHUT DOWN TIKTOK
“President Trump and Vice President Vance provided the leadership and foresight necessary to produce a framework deal that fulfills another campaign promise and saves TikTok,” said a spokesperson with the vice president’s office. “Hundreds of millions of Americans will now be able to continue safely enjoying the highly popular app thanks to the president’s decisive leadership.”
The TikTok ban was set to go into effect this week, although Trump’s latest announcement delayed the platform from going dark.
